The invention to which this invention relates is to the generation and control of an electronic programme guide (EPG) of the type which is generated on a television display screen and transmitted and received from a remote broadcast location.
An EPG and data relating to the same is typically transmitted at regular intervals or continuously to allow the guide to be generated and displayed and/or updated as required. The EPG is an increasingly important requirement in television broadcasting systems as the number of channels which can be received increases. The EPG systems are frequently improved as the guide or the broadcast systems upon which the same are carried are improved and progressed and usually include a series of bars and columns in a grid format which includes a series of cells, each of the cells indicating a particular programme, typically including an indication of the title, and each of the cells is positioned with respect to a time indication and a channel indication so as to provide to the user and indication of where and when they can view various programmes.
One problem is the increased ability to control the display of programmes at the viewer location to suit the viewer's wishes. This means that if, for example, the viewer is watching a programme and wishes to interrupt the programme but not miss the remainder of the programme they can decide to store in the local memory of the apparatus the remainder of the programme, and then recommence viewing of the stored programme at the desired time. This feature may be of particular importance in the future and the problem with this is that the delaying of the transmission of the programme at a location means that the display of the programme at that location and subsequent programmes. are then out of synchronisation with the EPG data and information which is transmitted to that location. This can be confusing and/or irritating to the viewer.